MUSLIM GROUP WARNS OF GROWING ISLAMOPHOBIA IN BRITAIN

London, 12 Jumadil Awwal 1436/3 March 2015 (MINA) – Islamophobia is growing in the UK, with ongoing and regular scaremongering about Muslims from certain sections of the media and with anti-Muslim hatred becoming more socially acceptable, The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) warned in a statement.

There is a real danger that such prejudice will further stoke up anti-Muslim hatred and provide the fodder for an already growing number of acts of violence against the Muslim community, the MCB added, International Islamic News Agency (IINA) quoted by Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA) as reporting.

In the last year, we have, for example, seen attacks against mosques, physical abuse against Muslims, anti-Muslim graffiti at a university, a rise in verbal abuse and hate mail, reports of Islamophobia in schools and continued online abuse against Muslims through social media, MCB said.

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MCB also said, the best way to defeat hatred is to build stronger bonds between communities, as there are needs to be a strategy to proactively tackle this divisive issue for our society at large and help reverse this trend in anti-Muslim prejudice. Britain can be proud of its record as a tolerant society and so can the Muslims for their continued positive contribution in that enrichment.

The MCB noted that any part of any strategy requires Islamophobia to be appropriately collected, documented and analysed by a body that has the confidence and trust of the community, and which has a track record of being able to raise the profile of an issue. The Muslim Council of Britain is therefore well placed to take this role, and with the right data, will be able to:

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Work with others to counter Islamophobia: engage with experts to develop the best data-driven solutions and propose these to community and civil society organizations/activists, social support and key law enforcement and government officials.

The MCB mentioned that it must be made clear that reporting does not remove the need for local solutions for local problems. Where a crime is committed, it must be reported to the police. (T/P011/R04)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)